


Paris Blues

by CuriouslyCunning (Dizzydodo)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prohibition Era, Canon Disabled Character, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Historical accuracy takes the back seat, I'm driving here, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Switching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:22:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dizzydodo/pseuds/CuriouslyCunning
Summary: Erwin Smith, Levi's former commander and lover, is up to something that threatens the life Levi has built for himself since the war. He has a proposition for Levi, but it's the man offering Levi is really interested in.Whether Levi is going to fall in line with Erwin's plans this time is something they can decide in the morning.





	1. St. James Infirmary Blues

**Author's Note:**

> I've tried to keep them in character as far as this AU goes, but this is heavily AU and I haven't finished the manga so I'm sure they're not spot-on. Still, concrit is always welcome. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

It didn't take a genius to figure out someone had rolled. Levi clicked his tongue thoughtfully, reading the newsprint again and again while he tried to make sense of what he had read. So many runners had gone down recently it had become front page news. Not the Johnny-come-latelies either; there were names on the page he had been drinking and doing business with for years. Careful men whose roots in the trade ran deep.

"You seen the paper?"

"Have. Have you seen the paper."

He could sense Eren rolling his eyes, but for once the kid didn't mouth off. "Have you seen the paper?"

"The hell does it look like?" Levi rattled the newspaper in his hands, crumpling it up like garbage. Eren winced. He had come from nothing, and even the cheap paper and ink of the _Times_ was still too expensive to waste in his mind. Eventually it would find its way to the burn pile, another casualty of Levi's relentless need to keep everything in its place.

"You're not gonna call off tonight?"

"No." He was tempted. Gathering all the city's rum-runners in one place, letting the drinks flow liberally and encouraging the rampant debauchery that ensued might as well be a red flag. With the Probies cracking down, they were risking a raid and more than a little lost stock. It wasn't easy though, getting so many of them together for a friendly evening and canceling on such short notice would only make him look suspicious. Not something he could afford these days.

Besides, tonight was a chance to test the waters, to see which of them had turned on his brothers.

"Do you have a tie yet?" The kid needed to cut his eyeteeth sometime, and Levi knew there was every possibility he would need another pair of eyes tonight.

Eren caught his breath, trying not to betray his excitement and failing miserably. "Somewhere."

"Find it. Find a decent coat too, nothing cheap. Get yourself a shirt, hat, anything you need. You're coming with me tonight."

"Yessir." Eren fled so fast he nearly wiped out when he hit the plush rug, managing to right himself with the help of the doorknob. He laughed ruefully, cast a glance back over his shoulder to ensure his boss and mentor hadn't seen it, then scampered from the room like the hounds of hell were snapping at his heels.

Levi waited until the door clicked shut behind him before he let a thin smile touch his lips. The brat was all gangling arms and legs these days coupled with the boundless energy of a puppy. He would either find a way to ruin his good new clothes tonight or outgrow them in a week, Levi was sure. Fortunately he had taught Eren a thing or two about hemming, letting out seams and sewing up the rips and tears from his daily labors. The new suit would last him awhile if he chose well.

He glanced back down to the paper, frowning with displeasure. He had a good idea of who was behind this but nothing solid enough to build a case on. If it was who he suspected, he might not want to either.

Erwin fucking Smith. A German immigrant from well before the war, Erwin came from money; enough to buy himself a officer's commission where most men had to enlist or be drafted. Levi hadn't been the only one that hated his guts when he showed up and took over without even pretending to be ashamed.

That initial hatred had morphed into grudging respect when he realized that however he had come by his commission, Erwin had a gift for command and lacked the sort of temperament that let other spoiled firstborns lead from the rear. By the end of the war they had been fast friends, and a little more besides. It had shocked him to learn some years later that like himself Erwin had taken to smuggling everything from moonshine to more exotic brews. Rumor painted the picture of a man that had his finger in just about every pie, adding to his already not-inconsiderable fortune.

There was no such thing as 'enough', Levi knew. No matter how much money he had now, no matter how warm his house or how plentiful the food he always felt the specter of poverty hovering over him. He remembered the chill of frostbite and nights trying to sleep while his stomach devoured itself because there was nothing else to be had. Levi understood greed better than most.

What he didn't understand was why Erwin would go after men and women that had once been his associates; why he was allying himself with a police force more corrupt than many of the most notorious criminals.

Most importantly, why he had taken out several other key players yet left his chief rival untouched. Levi rose, ripping the paper into shreds and feeding it into the fire; the ink gave the smoke a foul smell, but waste not want not. He watched the sparks rise from the blaze for a few seconds longer, prodding the tinder to put some life back into it.

It wasn't vanity to say that he was Erwin's most dangerous competitor and sometime ally. Between the two of them they controlled well over half the city's stock of alcohol, and after serving together for years they knew something of each other's methods. After some frantic, Thank-God-We're-Alive fumbling and his abrupt departure followed by years of silence even as they shared the same damn city, Levi knew there had to be bad blood between them. That should have made him the very first one to find himself locked up.

Tonight he intended to find out why he hadn't been.

* * *

 

 

The doorkeep opened the door as soon as he saw his face, no password or introduction required. As far as the rats in this cellar were concerned, Levi was royalty. Behind him marched Eren, fists swinging belligerently at his sides. He glared up at the doorman when he laughed to see such a short kid dressed to the nines and swaggering along behind Levi like some sort of guard.

His scornful chuckle cut off when Mikasa followed, pinning him with a dead stare that robbed the self-important little man of his breath.

"Behave." Levi murmured curtly when they caught up to him. "Don't get soused or start any trouble you can't finish."

Eren looked disappointed, but Levi was sure Mikasa could keep him out of whatever trouble he did end up finding. There would be something; Eren and Mikasa had been the terrible twosome since long before he had taken them in.

"Are we listening for anything in particular?" Mikasa tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, subtly taking in the room. It was packed to the brim with everyone who meant anything in their business and a few that didn't besides.

"I want to know whatever the hell everyone is up to these days. Who the probies are targeting, who's buying up stock, who's concerned about these arrests lately." Levi pinned her with a stare to drive home how serious he was "Especially who isn't."

"Got it." She took Eren's arm, looping it through her own and descending the short stairs into the pit as gracefully as any born and bred lady. This was the one place in the city a young woman wouldn't draw any censure for wearing dress pants, a coat and tie to match Eren's and a jaunty little cap to top off the ensemble. It was easy to track their progress through the room from the number of heads that swiveled to watch in disbelief, amusement or curiosity.

Levi kept a weather eye on the pair until he was sure they had navigated the worst of the crush then hurried down the stairs himself.

Short as he was, he still didn't need to weave through the crowd. It parted naturally for him, a few glasses tipped cheerful toasts in his direction. Levi managed curt nods for his few allies; you didn't get far without learning to play the game but Levi was better at some parts than others and this socialization business still didn't sit well with him even a decade later.

He made his way to the bar to grab a drink first thing, straight whiskey tonight. Then he turned to survey the room again, looking for one man in particular. Levi was sure he would stand out.

The space was made up like a parody of a hunting lodge: dark cherry wood floors complemented a black on scarlet Madison damask wallpaper, stone column supports wound up the corner of each wall, a stuffed wildcat perched on an overhang by the door, waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting visitors with fangs bared and claws extended. The exotic animals were on the upper level, hulking tigers and leopards stared at the assembled gathering with glassy, accusing eyes.

Tasteless, but there was an irony in it Levi could appreciate. Has-beens standing in a hall of trophies they had never earned, patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

A flash of gold and Levi's thoughts were interrupted by an Adonis making his way through the crowd to the bar, an empty glass already in hand. Erwin. His heart stuttered to a stop when a burly older gent stepped out of the way to reveal the empty sleeve pinned to Erwin's right side. That couldn't be right. When he had said his farewells to Erwin, brisk but reluctant, the man had been fully recovered, bored out of his mind waiting for clearance to leave hospital and go home. All of the evidence before him now said otherwise.

Erwin's gaze caught his own and held, a pleased smile settling on his lips. Dashing and handsome as ever, effortlessly radiating confidence and ease; he looked clean and wholesome and everything Levi knew he couldn't be. He made for the bar with purpose, coming up to lean against it beside Levi and offering his glass to the bartender.

Son of a bitch didn't even have to say what he was drinking, just flashed a smile and a quarter and there was another glass before him. Red wine, Levi noted without surprise. None of the cheap swill for Erwin, neither the drinks most of Levi and the rest of his uncultured kind enjoyed. He sighed, annoyed despite himself that he had expected it.

Even now he knew Erwin well.

"It's been years, Levi."

"It's been a decade." Levi said flatly, downing his drink and clinking his glass down with an air of finality.

"That's new." He nodded to Erwin's sleeve. He wouldn't insult him by pretending he hadn't noticed. It wasn't recent, he could tell that much. "What the hell did you get up to after the war?" Besides the obvious.

Erwin faltered, some of the wind gone from his sails. Good. Levi wanted to keep him off balance tonight.

"A whole hell of a lot, but this-" Erwin tilted to his head to his empty sleeve. "Is a memento from the hospital they sent me to. Infection." He shrugged.

"They give you one of those medals?" Levi's gut was roiling. Erwin had been fine when he left, had been up and walking and demanding to be released so someone else could have his bed. He'd been _fine_. But infection was one of the more familiar killers, Levi knew. Erwin could have died alone there and Levi would never have known it.

"I sold it." Erwin grinned mischievously. Levi decided against asking what he had to grin about. There was only one secret of Erwin's he was interested in now.

"Selling a little bit of everything, aren't you?" Subtlety had never been Levi's forte.

Erwin snorted, "I didn't come here to talk business tonight. At least, not this business." Erwin lifted his glass to the room in a mocking toast. Levi saw the same contempt in the gesture that he felt. Both for the fat cats making their quick buck at the expense of the rest of the city and for himself, lapping up the profits.

Levi's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "What sort of business do you think you have with me?"

There was one very simple way to take Levi out of the game, all Erwin needed to do was drop a discreet word in the right ear, catch Levi at the wrong time and he'd be tried for sodomy. Erwin's indiscretions might have ended with the war- what was a man to do but find another man to take care of his needs when most of the whores were diseased, or so the sanctimonious ones said-Levi's habits hadn't changed, and he was surprised to find he was nervous. Which, of course, made him angry.

Erwin looked surprised again and a little hurt. Levi didn't trust it for a second. He had seen firsthand the sort of traps Erwin had specialized in setting; there was a cunning in him Levi still hadn't plumbed the depths of. He didn't know how much their past companionship was going for these days either; not if Erwin had decided he had a higher calling.

"Friendly business, I hope." Erwin took a casual sip of his wine. "I have a proposition for you. One I think you'll find mutually agreeable."

"Oh yeah?" Levi relaxed. He reached behind the bar, ignoring the bartender's venomous glare to snatch a bottle of the cheap, strong stuff he had always favored. "Let's have a drink and talk it over."

"Somewhere a little quieter." Erwin agreed, downing the last of his wine with a brusque swallow and setting the glass away to take Levi's arm in a rather proprietary grip.

Even years later it felt familiar; Levi felt his heart beating triple time at the casual contact. His mouth went dry and every hair on his body pricked with anticipation. Stunned he realized that traitor or not, he still wanted this man. _Damn_.

Levi forced himself to stay in the present, resisting the siren's call of memory. This didn't have to be complicated; as soon as he was through here he'd get the kids home safe and go out again to his quiet little speakeasy where no one looked at each other's dance partners or spoke about who they saw there. He'd find himself some strapping blond imitation of who he wanted, make it plain there was nothing sentimental involved and both of them could enjoy the night.

He popped the cork on the bottle and took a swig, not seeing the grim look that passed over Erwin's face when he weaved closer.

 

 

There were dozens of smaller rooms hidden in the place, Erwin knew. A hidey-hole tucked under the staircase that led to the second level, a network of tunnels beneath the main floor that rivaled a spider's web for complexity, doors behind paintings, hidden in the wallpaper that led to exits or rooms. The trick was finding one that was unoccupied. Twice they stumbled onto discreet affairs before finally finding an unoccupied room.

"This-"

He didn't even finish the word before Levi slammed the door, kicked a leg out from under him and neatly spun to pin him to the door. The effect should have been comical; he was head-and-shoulders above his former right hand man, but what Levi lacked in height he made up for with aggression and sheer determination.

"Are you working for the feds?" He snarled, cutting to the heart of the matter with his usual bluntness. Erwin's heart skipped a beat; in a decade, nothing had changed.

Careful not to let his fond nostalgia leak into his expression, Erwin arched a strong brow and answered simply: "Yes."

It was satisfying to watch Levi rock back as though he had been sucker punched, his eyes blown wide with shock. "What the fuck?" He whispered. Then louder: "What the _fuck_?"

"You still have a way with words." It was a risky situation, but they had been close once and Erwin couldn't forget it even to save his own skin. Their closeness wasn't doing much to help him think either, or the feel of Levi's fists twining so firmly in his shirt. Muscle memory had him relaxing in the other man's hold, breath coming shallow and fast but not from fear.

"No, you don't talk unless I tell you." Levi shoved him harder against the door, one hand untangling itself from Erwin's loose shirt to slam into the wall beside him hard enough that Erwin wasn't sure whether he was more concerned for the wall or Levi's knuckles. Levi's bangs fell into his eyes, but he shook them out violently, glaring up at Erwin. "Alright. _Now_ you talk. Explain everything."

Erwin was silent a few seconds longer. He had come prepared, rehearsing a speech beforehand in the mirror as pulled on his bolo tie. The one Levi had liked to twine about his fist to urge Erwin into riding him. Erwin swallowed tightly, his pretty speech forgotten.

"You know prohibition isn't going to last much longer." Levi hadn't been much of a strategist when they first met, all fire and vinegar. By the time they parted he had developed his own philosophy: strike first and hard. He had a way of spotting what was coming around the bend and acting before he was forced to react. Erwin was confident the skills he had learned in war had transferred to business.

"And?" Levi gritted out. "Don't give me that 'winning side' bullshit, Erwin."

It was the first time he had heard his name on Levi's lips in ten years and it knocked the breath out of him faster than being slammed into the door had.

"The battle lines those people are drawing now will last longer than this ban. Their wealth will, their businesses. Is the city we're building now one you want to live in? You want to leave it to your kids? Eren? Mikasa?"

"Think I give a shit? They're not my kids, they're my fucking hired help. And the city looks pretty damn good when you're standing on top looking down, so what are you doing?"

Levi hadn't bothered asking how he knew their names, Erwin noticed.

"We built ourselves on dumb luck, Levi." Erwin froze when he heard the way Levi's breath shuddered out of him. He wasn't unaffected by their nearness, no matter what he pretended. "All the booze and good times these people wanted after the war. It's illegal, but it's not wrong."

He could see dawning understanding in Levi's eyes tempered by wariness. His grip was relaxing and Erwin's shoulders were glad for the relief.

"Out there though, you and I both know most of our-" Erwin's lips twisted, "comrades don't share our scruples."

"You still talk like a damn book." Levi interjected, brows drawn in a scowl.

"They're dealing in all kinds of misery. I heard the girl lost her mother in a brothel. I heard you took her in before they made her take her mother's place."

"She's a genius." Levi's words were a little cooler. "She's made back what I spent and more."

"I heard you got your boy from a workhouse. I have also heard he's more trouble than he's worth." Erwin's lips quirked. More like Armin hadn't stopped talking about him until Erwin had expressly forbidden the words "Eren", "Yeager" or any combination thereof in his house.

That was how he had found Levi again after all these years. He had only meant to repay the favor after Armin had come limping home half-carried by the Yeager boy a few years ago, a little the worse for wear but not half as bad as it would have been if Eren hadn't swept in and dealt with his assailants. Instead Eren had done him another favor and led him right to the doorstep of a man Erwin hadn't thought he would ever meet again.

It had just been a happy coincidence learning that he and Levi were splitting the black market between them.

"Those are the businesses they're running: the whorehouses, workhouses, weapons. They take the sort of people no one ever misses and use them up then toss them out on their own. If they survive."

_People like you._ He didn't say it, but he could see the thought lurking behind Levi's straightforward gaze.

"Self-righteous prick." The words were little more than a breath of sound, almost fond. "You think the feds are doing any better?"

"I know _I_ could." Erwin stepped away from the door, closing the distance between them in a graceful stride. "And I know the revenuers have enough resources to make it easier for me to take this city."

Levi was breathing rapidly, and Erwin could feel the heat of him from where he stood, nearly atop Levi's toes. Without conscious thought, his hand lifted up to rest beneath Levi's chin, tilting his head up. Levi allowed it, didn't pull away, didn't swear at him. He wanted to lean down and kiss him again badly enough that it was almost a physical pain. He wanted Levi to grab him by the tie and pull him down to close the distance between them.

"Wh-"

The door burst in off its hinges, silhouetting none other than Levi's devoted guard dogs, Eren and Mikasa.

"Get the hell away from him." Eren snarled in a good imitation of his mentor.

Mikasa eeled past him and took up position on Erwin's right side, noticing his potential vulnerability and readying herself to exploit it as soon as this turned nasty.

He stepped away from Levi with some disappointment, already mourning the lost feeling of heated skin against his own. "We'll finish this later, Levi."

"The hell you will." Mikasa murmured, still as cool and composed as if she regularly burst down doors to accost men that tried to have a private conversation with her boss. Perhaps she did; for all he knew this could be her average night.

Erwin dipped his head to Levi, to her, and because he felt a little devilish, patted Eren on the shoulder as he stepped out. The offended squawk Eren gave was all the reward he needed.

 

* * *

 

 

_Finish later_. "Finish what later?" Levi whispered, leaning farther back into his dark corner while listening with half an ear to the singer on stage crooning the _St. James Infirmary Blues_. His untouched drink sat in front of him, and an empty chair too though he hadn't made any effort to change that.

Had Erwin meant they would finish their conversation later? Or had he meant what his body had been promising? The familiar warmth in his eyes had kindled an answering ember that had flared to life when Erwin had grasped his chin just as he used to. Frozen, Levi couldn't decide whether to push Erwin away or draw him closer… or was he waiting for Erwin to lean down and claim his mouth with years of frustrated lust?

More importantly, would he ever stop fretting over it like some sheltered debutante at her first dance, Levi thought disgustedly. He had seen Eren and Mikasa home, cuffing Eren when he caught the scent of alcohol on his breath and demanding to know what Mikasa had been thinking to let him have a drink.

An eloquent shrug and a "He's fine, isn't he?" was all the answer he had received. Mikasa was good at keeping Eren out of trouble, but telling him 'no' was a skill they would have to work on. Once she understood the meaning of the word herself.

Eren had bickered with him the whole way home, arguing that it had only been a sip and he was a man, besides. Levi had cuffed him again, "I'll tell you when you're a man, boy, and when you can drink."

"Saved your ass, didn't I?" Eren sulked.

Had he? Levi hadn't decided yet. What he knew was that he'd been hard since the moment he first pinned Erwin to the door, and it showed no sign of letting up.

" _Let her go, let her go, God bless her_ -"

No one here fit his taste tonight though. Too short, too dark, not muscled enough, voice too high or too low or too annoying. Not Erwin.

" _Wherever she may be_ -"

The couples on the dance floor swayed to the music, out of rhythm and content to stay that way. His eyes skipped over the brunettes clasping each other close, matching sapphire blue dresses swaying becomingly just above their knees. He lingered a moment longer on the couple beside them- one blond, one as dark-haired as he and both built like they knew their way around the docks. Another and another and none of them anything like what he wanted, but they all had the closeness he was craving.

" _She can search this whole wide world over_ "

He couldn't settle tonight. Not after nearly having a taste of the real thing. Just then his eyes caught sight of a familiar face weaving through the crowd.

" _But she'll never find another sweet man like me_."

His strange restlessness eased a little when he saw Erwin, whatever their unfinished business they could deal with it here and now. However a new restlessness was building, the heat that Eren's interruption had so handily doused rekindled as Erwin approached the table and took the free chair.

Levi stiffly pushed the drink across to him, but Erwin batted it carelessly out of the way. Levi swallowed tightly and subtly adjusted his posture, trying to ignore the ache in his cock.

"Are you going to sic your probie friends on my club, Erwin?" He couldn't resist needling him for some reason, even knowing what the answer would be.

"This is none of their business." Erwin glanced around, taking in the secluded nooks and crannies, not raising a brow at the couples he found here. Then again after all they had done together nothing should shock him any more. "Have you had any luck tonight?"

Levi drew a deep breath, wishing he had kept his drink close to hand. Erwin's eyes raked over him, lingering on his undone collar; they had never left love-bites, too risky, but Erwin was looking for them now. He wouldn't find any. Levi didn't let any of his erstwhile lovers touch him more than they had to; it ruined the illusion. The trick was finding like-minded men willing to use him for the same purpose.

Levi drummed his fingers on the table. "Depends. You going to fuck me?"

Seduction was a gentleman's game for which Levi had no patience. Not even for Erwin. Not when it had been so long.

"Yes." Erwin snapped, catching Levi's hand where it lay unresisting on the table.

Levi stood abruptly, feeling Erwin's gaze fly straight to the damning evidence of his arousal; he smirked unabashedly. Levi had missed the expression. He was the one to drag them to the bar, to demand the key to his own room from the manager. He was the one that nearly hauled Erwin down the stairs to shove him through the door and onto the bed waiting for them.

"I wasn't expecting anything so comfortable." Erwin sat on the edge of the bed, sinking into the down comforter. The room was clean, sparsely decorated but still appealing with its birdseye maple bed and commode tucked unobtrusively in a corner. A wash basin sat atop it, and a pitcher with a cloth draped over its edge. Everything neat, tidy, and in its proper place.

No expense had been spared with regard to the sheets or bed. Erwin's own bed could barely compare to what Levi had tucked away in his secretive little club. "Are these sheets cashmere?"

He rubbed the fabric between his fingers, holding back outright laughter. Levi had bedded down in the mud of the trenches more than a few times, had once draped his blankets over an anthill to ensure there were no lice in them only to toss the newly 'clean' blanket in the dirt next to Erwin's own and sleep there. He had sworn then that he would never sleep in anything but luxury once they were home, but Erwin hadn't actually thought he would go this far.

"I told you I was never fucking outside again." Levi stripped his coat and shirt off before Erwin had a chance to properly appreciate the show, attacking the buttons of his pants as he spoke. He marched to the commode, unconcerned with his nudity, pulling out an emerald green cosmetic pot.

"Or using paraffin. Why the hell are your clothes still on?"

Erwin ignored the last pointed question, somber eyes drifting over the scars Levi still bore. He was responsible for those. Every last one. Only Levi hadn't earned a medal; he couldn't earn one that hadn't even existed yet even if he deserved it several times over apparently. The shrapnel that had eventually taken Erwin's arm would have taken his life if it hadn't been for Levi, yet he was the one that got a damned medal for it.

Erwin had disposed of it as soon as he was well enough, loathing the constant reminder of those men he hadn't been able to bring home, and what he had done to the ones who survived. He was reminded again seeing the pattern of scars across Levi's chest and back, down his shoulders. Pierced by everything from a bayonet to a splintered bullet.

"Don't go there." Levi warned, grabbing him by his lapels to forcefully pull him back into the present. "We're home. Don't _ever_ go back there."

Levi hadn't been raised a scholar, but he had his own peculiar eloquence that Erwin had always enjoyed. He also had common sense in spades, which Erwin knew he desperately needed more of.

"You're right."

"Of course." Levi snorted. "Were you going to take this off?"

He was worried, Erwin could see it in the guilty look that flashed to his sewn up sleeve. With a few tugs and a hard shrug he rid himself of the shirt. Levi's eyes roamed over him, taking in all the similarities and differences. He had a quick mouth and a sharp tongue, but even Levi was speechless for once.

The silence that fell between them was agonizing. Erwin could hear his racing heartbeat, their shared breaths, the faint music that carried from the room up front.

Then Levi pitched forward, fingers tangling in his hair and mouth covering his, starved for a contact he hadn't shared with Erwin in too long.

Erwin allowed himself to fall back, grabbing Levi by the back of his neck to guide them down together. Levi's hands settled above either of his shoulders, pressed chest to chest they kissed. Lips and tongue and teeth relearning everything about each other in the space of a few seconds.

He groaned when Levi pulled away, thinned lips now red and bee-stung. "Why the hell are your pants still on?"

Dexterous hands flew to his pants, tugging vexedly at his belt to toss it aside.

Not much had changed after all.

Erwin arched up, making it easier for Levi to peel his pants off. A time or two Levi had paused to fold them and lay them somewhere dry, those few times they'd had the luxury of more than just quick hand and blowjobs in the dark. He thought he might die if Levi tried that now.

Fortunately Levi's mind seemed to be in the same place, he laid them over the footboard of the bed swiftly, not moving from his perch on Erwin's hips where he had settled but rocking into him as he moved. Erwin muffled a frustrated growl.

"The walls are thick. Let me hear you." Levi had grown used to barking orders, and the bedroom was no different. Erwin was sure his cock couldn't get any harder, until Levi offered him a wicked smirk: "And don't you fucking move until I say so."


	2. The Growl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negotiations Phase Two: The day after

Levi couldn't resist admiring him; Erwin had always made a hell of a portrait whether he was sprawled across a bed or in their wretched blankets. In the early days of the war, that skin had been smooth, unmarked, and pale. Levi had watched the wounds appear and fade into scars, marking each one in his memory: the first one just under Erwin's ribs on the left side where a knife had nearly done him in except it caught in the bone. The second a wretched slice of barbed wire across a vulnerable shoulder and forearm.

His skin had darkened too under the constant sun, roughening with their exposure to the elements. Erwin never languished long in an officer's tent, and never missed a chance to take the reins himself whether it was leading the charge or setting up camp. Levi had been sure if a bullet didn't kill him the constant worrying would.

He looked at Erwin's right shoulder last, reaching out a soothing hand to run over the damage there. "You were healing well when I left you."

Erwin, caught in his own silent inspection of Levi's body, interrupted him, "I was all but healed when I ordered you to leave. You were sick as a dog."

They each had a different interpretation of what had happened that day. Whatever words Erwin used to dress it up, Levi had left him and this had happened. He didn't want to waste the night arguing though, and Erwin wouldn't surrender a bone once he had it properly in his teeth.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes."

"Now?"

"No."

"Damn them anyway. Incompetent butchers." He dismissed the entire affair with the perfect summary of it, seeing the agreement on Erwin's face.

He stroked an impatient hand through Erwin's hair- longer now, brittle against his fingers- and pulled firmly until Erwin leaned up for a final kiss. It was all teeth and tongue, nothing tender in it. He didn't want anything soft tonight, nothing resembling affection or intimacy. Erwin was little more than a stranger now; a familiar stranger he still wanted to keep. They couldn't afford anything more than sex, not with Erwin playing the game he was. Not until Levi knew which side of the board he was going to play.

Or- though his heart clenched even to think it- whether Erwin was weaving a clever web, a provocateur in service to a higher cause.

He dismissed the ugly thought as soon as it whispered its poison in his ear and attacked Erwin's throat with his teeth. Erwin gasped and jerked, his hand already clenching in the sheets and hips rising to meet Levi's with so little stimulation. It was more intoxicating than any of the drinks Levi had indulged in earlier, hearing Erwin's rough moan in his ear when he pressed a wet kiss to his collarbone only to suck a bruise into it.

Both of them would have something to explain if Erwin's law-abiding friends raided tonight. If they didn't, Erwin would still be able to feel him all day; he would still be able to look in the mirror tonight and remember what they had done.

Levi snatched up the emerald pot, twisting its top off and tossing it away impatiently.

"Let me." Erwin said gruffly, propping himself on his elbow and shimmying farther up the bed.

 _What the hell did I say about moving?_ The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Erwin's eyes were promising everything he wanted and Levi's conviction buckled as quickly as his knees nearly had when Erwin first hauled him from the table.

"Be quick." Levi snapped instead, automatically dragging the pillow down farther to support Erwin's shoulders.

Erwin settled comfortably on them, settling his arm about Levi's hips to pull him forward with thoughtless ease. His hand drifted up Levi's ribs, watching the skin twitch and jump beneath his fingers. Levi wasn't ticklish, but Erwin had always drawn it out of him, made him want to flinch and writhe with the merest brush of his fingers. Nothing had changed, and his skin still knew those fingertips.

"Lean into me." Erwin's voice was low, the command effortless and soft. Levi obeyed, as he always had, in his own way; he pressed his face into Erwin's neck again, mouthing at the pulse there distractingly. There was no faint trace of cologne to irritate him, just the scent of clean skin and a light tang of sweat.

The brush of Erwin's fingers, slick and wet with lube, had him muffling a gasp there. Erwin chuckled, smug and self-assured as he had ever been, he slipped his fingers lower to brush against the furl of Levi's ass. Levi caught his breath, held it, waiting for Erwin's fingers to sink into him-

"Now lean back." Erwin murmured, and Levi could hear the grin in his voice. The cat that had found the cream.

"What?"

"Lean back," Erwin continued, smile bleeding into his tone a little more, "And fuck yourself on my fingers like you will my cock."

 _Fuck_ , he had always appreciated Erwin's devilish moods. He still did. Slowly Levi rocked back, feeling Erwin probe, the tip of a finger breaching him unexpectedly. He paused to collect his wits, trying not to tremble with the excitement taking him over. He'd had men since he left Erwin; he had used and been used in every kind of way, played games he and Erwin had been too inexperienced to dream up in their time together. Now he was in serious danger of coming from such a slight touch.

"What's the matter, Levi?"

"Ngh." Levi wasn't sure what he had meant to say because Erwin had begun to move coaxingly, tempting Levi to just give in and take him in a single go.

He wanted to savor it a little. Bracing himself with a hand on Erwin's shoulder, Levi leaned back against the knees Erwin helpfully raised, forcing him forward but giving him leverage to settle slowly. A second finger joined the first, and Levi sank onto them slowly, savoring the stretch.

"How long has it been?" Erwin asked, letting Levi work himself open at his own pace, rising up on his knees only to sink down a little more each time.

He raised his hands to play with his chest, but Erwin's tsk stopped him mid-motion: "You wanted me to fuck you, didn't you? If you want to come on my cock tonight, you'll keep your hands to yourself until I tell you otherwise."

When the hell had he lost control of this encounter? Levi wasn't sure, but he wasn't desperate to take it back either. If Erwin's offer was sincere then this would only be the first of many more and he could take his due then. "Fine."

"Now, how long?"

No need to play coy, "Not very. There's a reason I own the place-"

Erwin's finger twisted and Levi lost his train of thought, "How are you taking it?"

"Good." Levi gritted out on a swallow. "I don't need much."

"Good." Erwin echoed, and Levi trusted his tone not at all. "Why don't you try taking me then?"

Mouth dry, Levi wet his throat with another swallow. He wanted, but… the hell with it. "Yes."

Erwin's fingers left him and Levi gasped at the loss, relaxing a little when that same hand brushed over his ass while Erwin positioned himself.

"You don't need-"

"You're enough." Erwin laughed ruefully, and Levi couldn't resist the quirk of a smile that fought its way to his lips. They weren't young men any more, but neither one was going to be the first to admit it. He leaned back, feeling blindly until he sank down at last on Erwin's girth. The shock of it forced a panting breath from him, something desperate and filthy that made Erwin's eyes flutter shut for a second.

It was all the encouragement Levi needed to push himself down farther, gritting his teeth against the cry that wanted to escape. This was exactly what he had wanted, exactly how the night was always meant to end. And he had thought he could make do with some pale imitation-

"Levi."

Levi's eyes snapped open, "Erwin." He gritted out, like they were acquaintances passing on the street or some shit. The thought startled a huff of laughter out of him that lasted until Erwin bucked.

"God _dammit_." He had never been the one for words, and what he had picked up deserted him.

Erwin's arm tightened on his waist, drawing them closer, urging Levi down. Rocking into him, Levi obliged, pressing their foreheads together until he could feel the heat of Erwin's breath on his face, smell the faintest trace of wine and a scent like cinnamon beneath. Erwin urged him closer still until he finally caught on, trapping his cock between them and using the blessed friction to push him just that much farther toward his release.

"Give in!"

Startled, Levi tensed, keening as he unconsciously obeyed the command. It had been too long since he'd been with Erwin, too long since he'd had a partner that gave half a damn. He rested there on Erwin's chest, still moving against him until he felt Erwin's warmth flood him.

Erwin was always quiet, ever the gentleman, Levi thought a bit snidely. He had meant to change that tonight, and had certainly coaxed more from Erwin than he expected but… he had wanted to draw out everything Erwin was keeping back, every secret, every desire of his own. Instead his own lust had clouded his judgment and he was left knowing the gulf between them hadn't lessened in the slightest.

He wasn't himself tonight. Somehow Erwin had turned the tables on him, even on his own turf.

Annoyed despite himself, body still humming with satisfaction in spite of his mood, Levi flopped down on the bed beside Erwin. He tensed with surprise when Erwin's good arm looped about him to drag him closer. Carefully he adjusted to avoid the beginning of a damp spot. Erwin snorted with amusement.

"We never had it this good."

"We do now." Levi countered. Then, because he had to know: "My own bed would dwarf even you."

"Oh? Will I get to see it?" Erwin had sensed his question and answered it with another. Levi took it.

"I might have to stay here a few days. In case the club runs into trouble. They don't hit sodomites with fines and let us go, Erwin."

Erwin shifted so he could be comfortable catching Levi's eye: "You still think I brought them to your door?"

"Could have. You struck a deal with the devil's own, and I don't intend to go to prison for it."

Erwin shook his head, "You would have the warden crushed under your boot heel within the month if I couldn't buy you out." Erwin's tone suggested the latter was a foregone conclusion, "But it's irrelevant. I am not incompetent, and I have my own ways through this city no government lapdog would dare to take."

Levi did too, but hearing it from Erwin's lips chilled him to the marrow. Erwin was a businessman; he dabbled in smuggling and brewery, doubtless knew every major trading artery, but at the end of the day he knew his books and maps and how to organize people better than he knew how to handle being jumped in a back alleyway. It was an entirely different thing from an open battlefield or a forest ambush and the men likely to do it would have the same experience he did.

"A little insulting, Levi." Erwin murmured drily, responding to the thoughts he hadn't spoken aloud.

"It's been years since you've done anything but coordinate from some comfy room in your absurd fucking mansion."

"You knew where I was then." Erwin shifted and stretched.

"Saw your seal on a crate or two. Heard some rich bastard was staking a claim and knew it had to be you. I didn't find you until my contacts started dropping like fucking flies. Always figured you'd be the one to find me first."

Erwin hummed noncommittally, confirming Levi's suspicion; neither one of them had wanted to be the first to approach.

"Here you are anyway." The words came out on a sigh, the tension finally leaving him. Sleeping next to Erwin was still terribly easy; he could drift off without any fear of being woken, knowing the man beside him would keep watch.

"It took awhile." He yawned until his jaw cracked, a tremor rushing through his body all at once.

They were going to sleep here. In his club, in the bed he kept for his dalliances with their spunk still on the bedsheets. Levi twitched violently, but even when Erwin loosened his grip he didn't pull away. They needed to be gone by sunrise, and that couldn't be too much longer. He'd always had a head for impulse decisions, the sort that came together beautifully and always managed to keep their asses out of the fire.

Levi threw out his latest idea as though he had been dwelling on it for years rather than a few seconds: "Why the hell bother with this town anyway? Join me in Paris. We could open a legitimate club for very discerning clientele. I hear the French mind their own damn business and stay in their own damn beds."

Erwin stilled, "Paris?"

"Mm." Levi confirmed, just before sleep claimed him.

 

* * *

 

 

Erwin flicked the hidden switch along the equator- just a little bump not too out of place on the topographical globe. With a snick it opened to reveal six crystal glasses neatly arranged in a circle around a snifter of brandy. With a pleased smirk he carefully poured himself a little, leaving it there in its holder while he made his way to the phonograph to adjust the needle. The harsh trill of a trumpet leaked out, covering the sound of Erwin's pleased sigh.

Booze wasn't illegal for men as wealthy as him, not really, but these private indulgences had become a habit over the years. It made him feel like he was getting away with something.

He drifted back to his desk: a massive oaken affair, scored and scuffed from years of constant use that he couldn't bring himself to get rid of. Sasha had pointedly reminded him of his steep bank account a few weeks ago while eyeing it like it had personally wronged her. He had protested that it was too much trouble to move the blasted thing, but the truth was he loved every familiar mark and faded spot and wasn't sure he could work on any other desk no matter how fine or modern.

Tonight- this morning?- he wasn't going to get any work done anyway. Of all the ways he had imagined the night would go, this had not been among them. He could still feel a buzz of pleasure under his skin, a warm afterglow that hadn't deserted him even when Levi had.

It hadn't been much of an abandonment, a rejection of his proposal and a counteroffer that would have been tempting if he had believed it for a second. The fact of the matter was neither Levi nor he were cut out to take their slothful ease in Paris; they were greedy bastards both of them, and after the war they hadn't known what to do without a fight on their hands. If they were rich as Croesus and ruled over all the world, they would both be bored stiff and looking for the next challenge.

That taken together with their history, how well they had worked together and all they had accomplished had convinced him more than anything Levi would throw his lot in with him. It had been a solid ten years wracked by every kind of fortune and disaster, but Erwin couldn't bring himself to believe Levi had changed that much. In other ways he obviously hadn't.

Erwin's fingers drifted to the quickly forming bruises decorating his shoulders beneath his rumpled shirt. They were too old to be leaving marks all over each other like a couple eager first-timers, but he enjoyed them nevertheless. It brought back memories of how careful they had to be, sneaking around and never raising their voices above a whisper.

Nearly burning the damn tent down with paraffin. It had taken everything he had not to laugh and ruin the mood when Levi had made such a point of assuring him there was no paraffin in the club. He wasn't sure they could laugh together any more, and Levi had never been prone to it to begin with. He finished off the last of his glass while basking in memories.

Times had changed, but Levi hadn't.

Erwin had him and he knew it. Even aside from that relentless need to fill his coffers and keep his home in order Levi would join him if for no better reason than because his conscience wouldn't permit otherwise.

He had chosen not to press his advantage there though. It made his own stomach churn with guilt; he hadn't discarded Levi like a tool that had outlived its purpose but sent him away on orders as a friend. A friend that had been tired of seeing him wearing himself thin with no thought to his own healing. If he threw that in Levi's face now… whatever they had once had would be tainted. Whatever they had started tonight would be dead.

So instead he pulled a hefty sheaf of papers from the bottom drawer, earmarked and inked in five different colors. Levi wasn't like most of Erwin's targets in that he had a good head for money and numbers in every kind. That made him much harder to keep tabs on; Erwin had three separate books to keep an eye on Levi's cash flow and it had told him everything he needed to know.

Levi's funds were invested in clinics and schools, sunk into the pockets of politicians pushing for reform in everything from working conditions to education. Every so often he found a transaction that raised the hair on his neck, like the massive cash withdrawal of a couple months ago that hadn't resulted in any acquisitions. Erwin had run the numbers again and again, had set Armin on its trail under the guise of teaching him basic surveillance techniques.

Perhaps he hadn't been bluffing. There was enough money there to buy a very comfortable little home on the outskirts of Paris. Or maybe he had taken in another stray to add to his growing collection. Reminded of his own charge, Erwin left the drink and made his way to the library downstairs where he knew Armin would be.

 

 

It was an ungodly hour of the morning when every decent person was abed, but Armin had fallen asleep where he lay on the Persian rug, his newest sketches smudging his face with damp ink. Erwin winced, but tried not to wake the boy with his dismayed hiss. He could afford the loss of paper, ink, and charcoal well enough, but Armin was going to be bitterly disappointed in losing what looked like a few hours worth of work.

"Armin."

Armin jolted awake, palms coming up to press into his eyes and rub the sleep from them. When he saw the ink staining his palms he groaned and rubbed them again. "No. Oh please, no."

Erwin attempted to nip the oncoming storm in the bud: "I'm sure you can sketch it again later."

On anyone else he would have termed Armin's glare murderous. "I spent hours on those schematics."

He wilted again, "And then I ruined them-"

If he spoke now he would only fan the flames. Wisely Erwin held his tongue and let Armin grumble and moan to himself while he shuffled and sorted the work that would need to be done from that which would not.

The latter pile was higher; mollified, Armin turned to him again. "What time is it anyway?"

The grandfather clock in the far corner chose that moment to chime its answer and Armin's eyes flew wide as he took in Erwin's rumpled shirt of yesterday, the wrinkled pants he hadn't had time to change. "Did you just get home?"

Armin stumbled to his feet.

"Are you sure you're awake?" Erwin countered. He should let the boy go to bed. He should go to bed, change his clothes and have a few hours nap at least before duty called. Erwin hadn't been so awake since he had weaned himself off the laudanum that damn hospital had poured down his throat for too long.

Armin sighed, rubbing his eyes one final time and squinting at the clock, "Think so."

"Any luck with finding the missing money?"

"He runs it through a gambling joint in midtown, after that?" Armin shrugged, "There has to be some kind of major expense he's paying regularly, only as hot as its been I guess he needs to keep a little extra. It's just conjecture though."

Erwin thought back to the quaint club where he had found Levi. It was no small time operation, none of the bathtub whiskey found in speakeasies all over the city or a smoky one room joint packed with too many people. The velour padding on the chairs had been clean and new, the glasses at the bar sparkling and whole. Compared to the sort of places one usually grabbed a drink it might have been confused for a respectable gentleman's club.

Thinking back to the room Levi had led him to and the other doors down hallways he hadn't seen, Erwin suspected that was the idea.

"That sounds plausible. Well done, Armin."

Armin flushed at the praise, but he wasn't finished: "Are you going to turn him in?"

It was too flat to be a question, but he heard the hint of a quaver beneath the words. If Levi went to prison Armin would lose his friends. Neither one of them had so many of those they could afford to lose one.

"No."

"You're sure?"

Erwin pinned him with a flat stare that Armin took as it was meant.

"'M not as awake as I thought I was." He added, glancing down. The subject was closed.

He yawned and stretched ostentatiously, "Anything else?"

"Have a lie in today. There's nothing pressing. _For you_ , Erwin thought. For himself? He knew better, but he was going to beard the dragon in its den again as soon as he was presentable.

 

* * *

 

 

It wasn't the quiet day Levi had hoped for. He hadn't finished the dregs of his coffee when Mikasa slid into the seat across from him to tell him someone was skimming the stock.

Levi poured himself another mug with a deep sigh, waiting until she took her leave to make his way to the cabinet for a little more whiskey to mix in. He needed something to take the edge off the strange anxiety he had pushed to the back of his mind. Uncovering the culprit in Mikasa's little intrigue should be enough.

He stretched, sore muscles protesting the movement. Despite everything he felt better than he had in months; for the first time he had woken in the same bed as Erwin, hair mussed and skin warm from being bundled beneath the coverlet and curled into Erwin's warmth. It was something they hadn't dared in the early days, always careful to be in their own bedrolls by morning.

 

He wasn't much for cuddling after the fact, but Erwin had casually pinned him when he made to get up, laughing at the offended glare Levi had leveled over his bare shoulder. Somehow he had let himself be persuaded to wrap the blankets around them and stay down rather than changing the sheets. Sometime between telling Erwin he should go and Erwin pressing an unexpectedly tender kiss to his temple he must have begun to doze off.

The next thing he remembered was being woken by a cautious tap at the door. Levi had never stayed until sunrise and the staff wasn't about to let him stumble. He had only woken Erwin once he was dressed and ready, or rather he had turned to see Erwin blearily watching from his makeshift nest.

"We need to go. I bought off morning watch, but there's no need to tempt the devil."

"Hm." Erwin's eyes drifted shut, fluttered open again as he struggled to sit up. Levi watched, outwardly impassive but still thoroughly enjoying the sight of Erwin languidly waking himself up.

"Given any thought to my proposition?" Erwin rumbled, tugging his pants and boots on with an annoyed groan.

"None." Levi countered truthfully. He already knew what his answer would be despite himself, but he didn't want to think of how easily Erwin kept him wound about his little finger. He didn't want to think of how even now they were a matched set. Once it would have been a source of pride, but with all the years of silence coupled with the words exchanged at their last meeting that had ended with Erwin ordering him away…

He rose and dressed quickly, nose wrinkling at the smell of stale smoke and alcohol. He needed a bath and a change of clothes before he made any life-altering decisions.

Levi was beginning to feel a little like a guard dog running to its master's call. He was proud that Erwin had chosen him to confide in about his madcap idea, and he was damned annoyed that it took so little to rekindle his loyalties and affection. Worse, he had crooked his finger and Erwin had followed him to his bed. Just like the old days. Like they hadn't moved on.

"I'll send Eren around when I'm ready to speak with you again." When he could reconcile the Levi of the past with the present, and when he no longer felt like a mutt coming to heel. If he could swallow his pride and share the empire he had built himself in his years of solitude. He just needed time to figure out whether he was willing to be Erwin's right hand again.

Something in the cast of Erwin's expression warned him he didn't have much.

"Levi."

Levi turned at the door, playing with the key in his pocket.

"Whatever your answer, I give you my word this place is safe. This is strictly a matter between you and I."

Erwin thought he was extending the hand of mercy, but only men of power could afford to offer that. It told Levi everything he needed to know about how Erwin saw the current relationship between them. Vexed anew, Levi turned to go without another word.

 

Taking his coffee, Levi made his way to the study and pulled out one of the many encyclopedias lining the walls. He flipped to "E", the letter carefully replaced by the lists of his contacts and underlings, cross-referenced with another section where "S" would be detailing the specific stock and business he had with them. For years he had needed a separate manual just to decipher his shorthand, had played with different codes and ciphers until he finally gave up and used the one their unit had always used in their letters home. He was good enough with that one that it seldom took more than a glance to read, and his reference book had grown musty with disuse.

It took him less than an hour to narrow down the potential culprits to less than ten. By the time the hour chimed he had it down to three.

That was the trouble with running a business the size he did- he had to delegate, and inevitably he ended up at cross-purposes with some greedy little bastard that wanted to make a name for himself. Levi was sympathetic; he had been there years ago and now he stood at the top.

That was exactly what worried him about Erwin. He had been clever last night, keeping Levi over a barrel, tipping his hand just enough to show he held one card in particular: the oldest and most difficult club Levi owned. Then, like a damned honorable fool, he had turned that card over to Levi without even the promise of anything in return.

Levi knew their former partnership had something to do with it and the night they had shared probably played a part too, but he couldn't afford to share a bed literally or figuratively with a man that could so casually surrender his advantage. That Erwin had accomplished so much with tactics like that was nothing short of miraculous, and Levi wasn't in the habit of trusting to dumb luck.

Mentally he drafted a counter-proposal, one that would give Erwin what he wanted at a price he had to be willing to pay if he really wanted Levi's kind of help. He wanted to send Eren with his answer immediately, likely waking Erwin from sleep so he could have his answer before nightfall, but his cooler head prevailed. Barely.

Instead he sent Eren and Mikasa away to the docks on a flimsy pretext. It didn't take much doing; their eyes lit up when he mentioned the ferry and pressed a little too much spare change into their hands. They would make themselves sick on every kind of sweet as soon as they finished their work, he knew.

He waited until he heard the door slam behind them before shrugging into his coat once more and tucking a note with the names of his none-too-clever employees into his pocket. Unlike Erwin he seldom involved the police in his affairs; give them any foothold and they would cling forever. He left a separate note on his desk where he was sure Eren would check if the kids returned before he did.

 

 

Despite his best intentions, it was early afternoon by the time Erwin made his way to Levi's home. He had agonized over what to wear and say worse than any young man preparing for his first dinner. It shouldn't have surprised him; Levi hadn't been the first man he had dallied with, but he was the first that had could twist Erwin's stomach and tongue into knots simply by entering the room. Nothing had changed in that respect.

He settled on something simple… and easily discarded. Regardless of whether Levi was willing to discuss their business tonight, Erwin had been serious about seeing that bed. It would take time before he could coax Levi to his own home, but he had enough faith in his powers of persuasion to assume he could talk his way that far.

He had only knocked twice when he heard the steady thumping of feet descending the stairs. He knew that stride well. Erwin waited, anxiously if he was honest with himself, while Levi plunged down the stairs to scramble to the door. He looked a little the worse for wear, hair mussed and an ugly bruise starting around his eyes-

"What happened?" His nerves disappeared, and Eren had the good sense to step out of his way when Erwin stepped in.

"I was distracted." Levi smiled crookedly. "Got clocked by a southpaw."

"Have you gone a single day without getting into a fight since you were discharged?" Erwin tutted half-seriously.

"Wasn't much of a fight. I beat the shit out of them." Levi clenched and unclenched his fist, opening cuts in his skin Erwin hadn't had time to notice yet. "More importantly, I thought I told you I'd send Eren when I wanted to speak to you again."

Even as he spoke Levi moved out of the way to let him in; Erwin took the invitation as soon as it was offered.

"This isn't business."

"No?"

Much as he knew Levi could handle himself, he hurt to look at. Erwin hid a wince as he studied the damage, but not well enough if Levi's raised brow was anything to go by.

"Then what the hell brings you to my humble home?"

"You should see to those first." Erwin nodded to the thin smears of blood on Levi's hand. "Even small cuts-" He didn't finish, he didn't have to. Levi glanced to his arm, face coloring with anger once more. Surprisingly he didn't argue, just turned and made his way back upstairs.

He paused when he didn't hear Erwin's footsteps behind him. "Come up. I'm not leaving you alone in here."

"Afraid I'll learn all your secrets?"

"You found the only one that mattered last night, and if you don't have an idea of the others then you have no business ambushing me either."

Erwin didn't believe that for a second, but he bit his tongue and followed, one step closer to where he had hoped to end up anyway. He had learned the benefits of mixing business with pleasure, whether it was drinks, smokes or sex. He had built a business on it, and since he had already invited Levi to be his partner in business, since they had already indulged in their pleasure, he was confident he could clinch this deal.

The way Levi glanced down at him over his shoulder suggested he wasn't the only one entertaining the thought.


	3. He May be Your Dog (But He's Wearing My Collar)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paris has to wait

Levi was right: his bed was big enough that Erwin was sure he could get lost in it, piled high with blanket upon blanket. Unlike his home away from home the pillows were thin and there were only two of them, the sheets tucked in neatly at the corners.

The room itself was ruthlessly spartan: the light wood floor beneath his feet was polished to such a bright sheen he could nearly see his face in it. The rug was well-used but unstained and tacked down so that it didn't shift beneath his feet. Even the window on the far wall was spotless, the dark curtains tumbling down to brush against the floor framing a lovely view of a small yard dotted with trees.

Erwin crossed to it, studying the yard to take in the few trees scattered there. A yard large enough for trees in the city. Levi had spared no expense. "Apple and?"

"Pear." Levi answered, joining him at the window. He scrubbed the last of the blood and dirt from his hands with a white cloth, eying the stains with grim satisfaction.

"You were right about the bed." Erwin offered more than the compliment, trusting Levi would take his meaning.

"Want to try it for yourself?" Levi obliged with a hint of a knowing smile.

His smile reopened a cut along the curve of his cheek; the look was so familiar that for a second the years between them vanished. "I don't think either one of us is up for it." Erwin chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Did you sleep last night?"

"Not much." Levi admitted, "But I usually don't. Why? Are you tired, old man?"

"Yes." Erwin bluntly admitted. He was ragged around the edges, adrenaline was no replacement for rest and now that he had taken the bull by the horns his fatigue hit him full force. He made his way to the bed and crumpled onto it, far less seductively than Levi would have liked he was sure. "I usually don't sleep either, but I am not near so sanguine about it as you."

Levi perched next to him, thoughtlessly reaching out to stroke a rough hand down the curve of his shoulder. Erwin resisted the urge to arch into the firm stroke like a cat. He laughed aloud, surprising Levi enough that he drew back and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Between the two of them Levi was unquestionably the cat, and he the lumbering golden retriever Mike had once rudely compared him to when he thought Erwin was out of earshot.

With a sigh Levi pulled away and went back to the business of tending his cuts and bruises, tutting at the stains on his clothes. Erwin didn't bother trying to hide his disappointment.

"You find me at the party, follow me to my club, now you're lounging in my bed like it's yours. What the hell am I supposed to make of you, Erwin Smith?" Levi mused, more to himself than his audience of one.

"This isn't about our future partnership."

Levi snorted.

" _Business_ partnership." Erwin hastily amended in the interest of honesty.

Levi sat again, the breath leaving him in a shuddering sigh. "I can't work with feds. Not even for you."

It was the first time Levi had openly acknowledged that they shared a deeper connection since Erwin had found him the night past. If the stakes weren't so high he would have left it at that and basked in the knowledge that he- that _they_ still had something.

As it was: "Not even if it meant splitting this city between us and taking out the garbage?" Harsh words for a man that had called some of the tycoons at the top friends once. Erwin could see the thought mirrored on Levi's face.

"There are too many now to take on ourselves." Erwin continued, firm and persuasive as only he knew how.

"You've done your part these past couple years to whittle them down." Erwin heard the reluctant admiration in Levi's tone. He might disagree with the method, but there was no denying the results.

"It's barely a drop in the pond. I'm dealing with petty gangsters and rum-runners; our problems are higher than that." Fat cats raking in more money than they knew what to do with while kids found their way to people like Erwin and Levi who could guarantee them a buck or two if not that it was made legitimately. Officers that took money to look the other way from crimes far more serious than a little illicit partying.

The only way to fix it was to tackle the problem from top down, and if he had a man at the bottom taking care of the bottom-feeders Erwin knew he could pull it off a hell of a lot quicker. He also knew it had to be Levi, the only man he trusted enough to do the job without fucking it up and landing in prison.

"You promised me time to think."

"Forgive me." Erwin said, meaning it not a whit. "It sounded like you had already made up your mind. I wanted to press my case, and we weren't exactly of a mind to discuss it yesterday."

Silence fell, broken only by their quiet breaths and the dry scrape of fabric when they shifted uncomfortably. It was an intricate dance they were playing out, Erwin thought wryly and neither one of them had a gift for the subtle grace of it.

Wonder of wonders it was Levi who broke the silence, watching Erwin with eyes that had gradually lost their accusatory squint, the lines on his brow changing from annoyance to frank puzzlement. "I just don't understand why the hell you needed to involve the feds. They'll hang you out to dry as soon as they're done with you."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"That's a load of horseshit. Did your pals the revenuers feed it to you?" Levi grimaced, fingers plucking restlessly at the coverlet. "Is that the line they played while you bought them off? Are you going to try bribing me too?" He continued snidely.

"I considered it, but I was reasonably certain it wouldn't work." Erwin shamelessly admitted.

He caught a sharp breath at the spark of interest that lit Levi's features, "Hm? How would that have gone?"

_Not very well for me_. Erwin didn't bother hiding a smarmy grin; it was one of Levi's favorite expressions anyway. "About the same. We still would have ended up here."

However Levi had received his business proposition, Erwin hadn't made a secret of wanting a more personal connection. He didn't particularly give a damn if they ended up playing different sides at least insofar as _this_ was concerned. He reached up to free the button Levi was eying considerably, baring the lines of his throat. His weariness ebbed at the kindling spark of lust in Levi's eyes.

"Though with our business concluded, I don't think we would have wasted so much time talking." Straight from the pages of a lurid dime novel, but Levi wasn't listening anyway.

He slid another button loose as he spoke, preening a little as Levi's eyes followed the movement, flicking back and forth between his lips and the slowly revealed skin of his chest. Last night had been rushed; a thrill in its own way, reminiscent of their old times together. Now they had all the time in the world and Erwin intended to enjoy it until reality intruded on their interlude.

"You were the one who taught me patience and a level head were the keys to negotiating." Levi undid the next couple buttons himself, impatience in the tug of his fingertips.

"I waited ten years to approach you with this. We've spent nearly as much time arguing now as we have fucking; is it only my patience wearing thin?"

A sharp breath hissed through Levi's teeth at the profanity; he had always enjoyed watching Erwin, the quintessential gentleman, show just a flash of his edge. Erwin knew it too, damn him. "I thought you were tired."

"I'm waking up."

_Good_. Levi tugged at the last two buttons of Erwin's shirt a little too enthusiastically, he could practically hear the threads screaming for mercy but fortunately they stubbornly clung to the fabric despite the rough treatment. Always the best for Erwin.

Erwin tugged Levi's shirt from his pants briskly, and for once Levi didn't complain when it ended up on the floor. He kicked his trousers there a few seconds later, uncharacteristically clumsy in his haste. After those ten years one night hadn't been nearly enough to take the edge off their need; ten more years might not be but Levi intended to at least try to make up for lost time.

He caught Erwin's hand when it reached for him, forcing it down to the sheets. "You're still fucking awful at taking orders, but let's try again: stay _still_."

"Not likely." Erwin muttered under his breath, obviously attempting to bait Levi into hurrying the hell up.

Levi chose to ignore him, straddling Erwin to pin him there. His scars didn't look as vicious in the daylight; most of the had healed well, the ones where Levi had stitched his skin back together with the supplies he had on hand. He clenched his teeth and deliberately swallowed his anger at seeing the rest: the medics had more people to worry about than Levi. Levi had concerned himself with only one.

They had been over this last night; he wasn't going to drag it between them this morning too. Levi leaned down, releasing his grip on Erwin's hand to brace himself against the coverlet instead. Erwin tilted his head back, welcoming a more leisurely kiss than the last few they had enjoyed. Slow and tender, lingering in just the right way.

Boneless and contented, Levi allowed himself to rest and luxuriate in Erwin's body heat for a few minutes more before finally pulling away.

Erwin watched him admiringly as he stretched back to reach for the lube he wasn't about to admit he had dug out last night in the hope Erwin might try to corner him again. Erwin knew it though, Levi could see it in the tilt of his head, the way his brows lifted only slightly in a poor facsimile of surprise.

"Expecting me?"

"Smug always suited you." This time when Erwin tried to sneak an arm around him, tried to sweep him off his feet once more, Levi resisted the urge to give in and rolled with him, twisting quickly and pinning him again. It was worth it to hear Erwin's laughter, rare enough when they had last been together it still sounded hoarse in his throat, like he was just learning the way of it.

"Why the hell should I trust you in business if you won't even do as I say _now_?"

"I'm still fucking awful at taking orders." Erwin parroted back. He cut off when Levi began to rock against him, building up just enough friction to taunt him. He arched up, biting his lip against a soft gasp of breath. So sensitive; obviously Erwin hadn't been enjoying the same pursuits as Levi, and the temptation to work him up just like this, only to leave him keening and begging for more was a very real temptation.

He couldn't do it though, not when he saw the red flush already gathering in Erwin's cheeks and racing up to his ears. Not when Erwin's eyes fluttered shut for a few precious seconds, testament to how good even this simple stimulation was for him.

Feeling wicked, Levi pressed his mouth to Erwin's ear: "You are so desperate to come and I've barely even touched you yet. How long do you think you'd last? Maybe I should just keep you here, teach you _patience_."

"I wouldn't mind." Erwin purred, catching Levi off guard and tossing fuel on the proverbial fire.

"Goddammit." One of these days they would take their time, indulge in the foreplay they had promised each other during the last days of the war. It wasn't going to be today though, and tomorrow wasn't looking promising either.

He spilled the oily lube on his good sheets, lips twisting into a grimace of distaste.

"Later." Erwin growled, reading his annoyance. Levi didn't bother responding, both of them groaning with pained relief when he began to push into Erwin, pausing only briefly to catch his breath, taking stock of Erwin's expression.

"Breathe, Erwin."

Miracle of miracles he listened, and Levi had to fight the urge to buck into him.

"Dammit, Levi, I'm not a porcelain doll." Not that Erwin particularly cared for his consideration. His hand caught Levi's short hair, pulling him down for a kiss designed to make him forget whatever inhibitions he had left. Their teeth clacked harshly together when he gave in, arching frantically into Erwin's welcoming heat. It was worth it to feel Erwin's muffled groan, the way he writhed and twisted to get closer still.

Neither one of them were going to last and Levi didn't have it in him to give a damn for his pride.

He swore when his orgasm took him nearly unaware, painful in its intensity. Erwin rutted against him, chasing his own release, completely unconcerned with the dignity that usually surrounded him like a cloak. Levi's hand joined Erwin's when he reached down to take care of himself, stroking quick and firmly, the oil so warm and smooth Erwin barely lasted a few seconds more. Levi watched greedily while he panted and bucked, riding out his climax while it slowly ebbed.

Levi was tempted to press his advantage, just keep playing with Erwin until he begged for mercy. He wondered if he could do it, if he could reduce Erwin Smith to the point of desperate pleading. If any man could it would be he, but Levi knew it would take the sort of patience neither one of them had at the moment, and more energy than he had to spare.

The wave of fatigue was sudden and strong enough to overwhelm all the black coffee he had been downing all night. Nevertheless Levi forced himself up.

Erwin sighed with resignation, hauling his weary bones out of bed and stripping the sheets away from the bed while Levi dug out another set. Between the two of them it was short work, and they nearly had a nasty collision when they collapsed back into it.

"Going to leave it all on the floor?" Erwin teased sleepily.

"Would you like to lay there too?"

Erwin's breath had evened out in sleep before he even finished the sentence. Tired as he was, Levi fought to keep his eyes open. He needed to think, and though he knew it was a bad idea, he intended to do it here, basking in Erwin's warmth.

 

 

 

"I was dead serious about your lap dogs, Erwin."

By the time they woke again it was well into evening. Levi had been awake longer than he; Erwin could smell tobacco smoke on the air and knew Levi had spent the time thinking as much as napping. He leaned back against the pillows, prepared to hear Levi out and slowly but surely chip away at his objections.

He didn't interrupt, pushing his tongue against the roof of his mouth to remind himself to keep it shut no matter the temptation.

"Those sons of bitches want me and mine either dead or rotting in prison and I'm not going to wait for them to put the knife in my back." He glanced at Erwin pointedly, waiting for the inevitable rebuttable that for once did not come. "When you're ready to clean them out come find me again-"

It was too much. Erwin cut in before he could finish the thought, "Again? Whether you work with me or not I don't mean to leave, Levi."

Levi glared, but Erwin could see the edge of concern beneath it. "Then we can share a cell once your new friends find out you're a tax-dodging sodomite."

"If I were dodging taxes I would already be in a cell. I find that so long as the crooks are getting paid, they don't care where the money comes from. It's only when the cash flow stops they begin to make trouble."

"Which is why you're paying your friends under the table."

"Only supplementing their meagre income; it's an incentive to do their jobs." More seriously he added, "I thought you knew me better than to think I would let you take a fall."

"It's inevitable. You've always been a gentleman, Erwin, you're untouchable. The rest of us would hang for petty larceny while you pay a fine for murder."

The silence that fell should have been awkward, but Erwin had lasted out these silences before and he could see the wheels turning behind Levi's eyes.

"What, specifically, do you need from me that your money can't buy anyway?"

"Competence." Erwin said with a hint of asperity. It was the rarest commodity in the city and he hoarded it like gold. "I own a lot of the agents in this city, but even I can't afford to buy everyone. I need more dirt on them than I have and bluntly, I can't afford to dirty my hands publicly if I'm going to take the governor's seat."

"Why not president?" Levi chimed in sarcastically.

"After governor perhaps." He smiled only slightly when Levi stared at him, wide-eyed and plainly unsure whether that was meant to be a joke.

"And there are connections I can't make without raising suspicions." Erwin continued, "As you say, I've always been a gentleman." He twisted the word into a playful mockery. "You grew up here, though. You can move freely where me and mine would be watched. If I can take the businesses and you can take the streets we'll have a monopoly on a major artery of trade. We could leverage just about anyone into anything. Once the amendment is repealed we could even turn most of our illegal businesses legitimate, lobby for the rest."

Never one for small dreams, Erwin watched his ideal future unfold before his eyes. It was only lacking one crucial, decidedly stubborn detail.

"Of course, if you are opposed I will need to be more cautious. It is not a death knell, but I would rather have your help."

 

* * *

 

 

 

How the hell he got himself into these situations was not something Levi had ever bothered questioning before. At a quarter to midnight, drink in hand, shirt buttoned so high he swore he could feel the collar strangling him every time he swallowed, watching Erwin by charm and intimidate his colleagues by turns, Levi was beginning to reevaluate a few of his recent decisions.

First among them agreeing to toss his hat into Erwin's business without a better idea of what his plans entailed. No sooner had he proposed his compromise than Erwin had gleefully tangled him up in a mire of politics he wasn't sure he would ever escape again. Somehow he was drinking decent swill on the good side of town in a nice suit while he waited on the final word from Erwin.

He nearly vaulted the balustrade with relief when Mikasa caught his eye, flashing the precious treasure held beneath her clutch. Risky business cooking books, particularly when one owned a respectable amount of real estate near docks Erwin was vocal about wanting to acquire. He could pass the evidence along to Erwin and be home soon after they rang in the New Year.

Levi clenched his hands to avoid tapping impatiently while he waited. Mikasa didn't dawdle, it was only a handful of minutes between spotting her downstairs and feeling her slide her clutch into his hand. "Hold this a minute?"

"Of course." Easy enough to slide the papers into his suit while she pretended to straighten her dress. It didn't lay quite right on him anymore, but if he had learned one thing from accompanying Erwin to these sorts of parties it was that the malicious old bats would prefer to mock the cut of his suit amongst themselves rather than comment on it.

Erwin could deal with these sharks and his crooked agents; Levi preferred the honest greed of the IRS and smugglers.

He sauntered down the stairs as casually as he could, making for the door and freedom. The handle was within reach when Erwin caught up to him, catching his arm quickly and practically dragging him through the crush to the makeshift bar he had set up.

"Six minutes to the new year. Surely you can spare me that long?" Though his face was stoic, Levi could see Erwin's eyes were laughing at his predicament.

"You said it wouldn't take an hour three hours ago."

"Has it been that long?"

"Yes." Levi hissed, keenly aware of every passing second.

"Four minutes. We should find someplace quieter."

"For what?" It was a wasted question, no sooner had Erwin made his wishes known than Levi spotted their escape. He plucked at Erwin's sleeve, guiding him toward it with a firm hand.

"Three." Erwin murmured, a whisper of mischief in his voice.

A sneaking suspicion took hold of him and Levi redoubled his efforts to cut through the crowd. The last thing he wanted was to watch Erwin explain to his admirers and detractors alike why he was sharing a new year's kiss with another man and known criminal to boot. Though now that he had imagined it, Levi had to concede that if any man could do it his name was Erwin Smith.

"They're going to be wondering where the hell you are."

"I told them I had better company. Two."

The hall closet, Levi whipped the door open with enough force that it shuddered on its hinges and pushed Erwin in unceremoniously.

"One."

"How do you intend to explain the two of us stumbling out of the linen closet at midnight?"

"I wasn't expecting a closet."

"Shit. Are you drunk?"

"I will leave first and knock once for safe, twice for wait."

"You _are_ drunk."

Between the noise and their conversation, Levi didn't hear the clock chime the hour. The deafening roar outside was all the warning he had before Erwin caught his lips in the sort of kiss designed to be a prelude to sin. Levi caught his lapels, dragging him down to deepen the kiss, tongues meeting and twining for a few precious seconds before Erwin pulled away. The crowd outside might as well have been cheering for them.

"If we're caught-" Levi began, prepared to take the full brunt of whatever hell followed.

"Paris should be lovely in winter." With a wink so quick Levi wasn't sure he had seen it, Erwin stepped out.

A single knock followed; Levi caught his breath and waited a second more before stepping out.

Unfortunately Paris would have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from Rosa Henderson's song of the same name.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should not be starting another fic, but in my defense:
> 
> 1) I was enabled- You know who you are.
> 
> 2) This is a two shot with an epilogue. (It's a novel in my notes, but I will learn to be brief if it kills me)
> 
> 3) It's finished. I need to edit and add a little meat to the bones of the next chapters but at the worst you can expect an update next week and the week after.
> 
>  
> 
> The song mentioned in this chapter is Cab Calloway's "St. James Infirmary Blues", which inspired this fic and helped trap me in EruRi hell. There are other versions of the song all up on Youtube, but Calloway's is one of the best imo.
> 
> Also, Wikipedia has an entire article on the origins of the word "fuck" and if you ever need a pick-me-up, just go down to the 'political usage' section and laugh yourself hoarse.


End file.
